Unrelenting Ties
by Lightningthesky
Summary: Coming across a Cie'th Stone, Serah questions what actually happened after the Purge. Was her sister crystallized or was the underlying reason being covered up? Sisterly stuff
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, all belongs to Square Enix, nor do I gain anything other than the experience of writing.**

Serah hummed thoughtfully when Snow leaned down and kissed her head. Shrugging on his thick coat and a quick fix to his bandanna to hide the fluffy blonde mass underneath, he winked at her.

"No school, right babe? Whatcha gonna do today then?", Snow questioned, his face scrunching up as he tied the laces of his boots.

Serah huffed, exactly her dilemma, she didn't have any intentions for today. She had grown used to going to teach everyday, even those who called her, 'Meany Miss Farron'. She didn't quite understand why they thought that of her teachings, she wondered what they would think of her teacher.

A sharp pang in heart sent her thoughts reeling away from that subject.

The students had prayed for a snow day and it was finally granted. Serah cast glimpse at the frosted windows, the snow inspired child-like giddiness in all of them. Cocoon had always regulated their climate, so the constant changes in weather was something to get used to. From the sweltering heat to the frigid cold, Serah honestly loved the plus of getting to see snowflakes delicately fall to the ground.

She could truly sit and stare at it all day, but no doubt it would cause concern to rise.

Everyone had been tiptoeing around her since the fall three years ago. Always watching what they said, the glances towards her reactions when they slipped up. They all acted as if she couldn't handle what truly happened. She just wanted the true story, she found it hard to believe what they had tried so hard to convince her of.

Serah would never believe Lightning would fight against all odds to give it up in the end.

Her eyes ascended slightly to stop on the crystalline tower in the distance. Maybe if there were some proof, just something that would make it more likely. The knife Hope found did nothing for it, just made her deny it even more. Lightning was never an open person, but anything she had ever given her, no matter the terms, was kept. Her sister probably didn't have to heart to leave something that she gave to her.

If her assumptions were right then why was everyone lying to her? Snow, Sazh, and Hope had to know what actually happened to her sister; they were there. Why would they tell everyone her sister was in the crystal with Fang and Vanille. Her chest constricted at the thought of Snow not telling her of her sister's fate.

It left another conflict; what had happened to her sister?

Serah snapped back to reality when Snow's sky blue eyes gazed into hers, screaming concern. She tightened her grip on the cooling mug in her hands. She shook her head, hoping to clear it of the feelings of betrayal in her mind.

"Well. . whatever you do today, make sure you bundle up okay? I gotta go do a patrol with Gadot. I'll see ya later babe", Snow pushed the chair away and gave another kiss to her forehead before slipping out the door.

Serah sighed, her misgivings about what had happened during the Fall had put a hold on their marriage. Snow had looked so disappointed when she had told him she wanted to postpone until they could find her sister. She hated hurting Snow, but for the sake of keeping even a thread of a bond with her sister, she couldn't do it. Marrying Snow without Lightning's consent would be one thing, but marrying him without her even being there would be detrimental to their already unsteady relationship.

Tapping her chin, Serah figured she could sit here and muse all day with the amount of thoughts assaulting her mind. The only thing that ever seemed to quiet them was when she visited Lightning.

A marker had been placed near the outskirts of New Bodhum, to remember those who were lost during the Purge. For Serah though, it was to talk to her sister. She could remember visiting her parents graves after they died and talking to them for hours. Always hoping for a reply, but never getting one. Serah grimaced when she associated her actions for her parents and Lightning; Lightning wasn't dead, she refused to believe that anymore than she did about the crystal. It was just her way of voicing her grievances until she could do it to her sister's face.

Wrapping a scarf around her neck, she pulled it lightly to keep the scratchy fabric from rubbing her skin. Trudging through the snow didn't seem ideal, but for family she'd do it.

She failed to acknowledge it was more for herself.

Pressing her palm against the door until she heard the satisfactory click that signaled it shut, Serah set her eyes on the sloping path that ran beside her house.

Putting one foot after another was easier said than done. Serah huffed, shaking her head to dispel the fog that was produced from her breath and forced her feet to keep on the trail. The crunch of snow under her heels was all she could hear as she wandered away from the town and into the untouched wildlife that was Gran Pulse.

At first, she was terrified of the idea of surviving on this so called hell. After building their house and everyone settling down from the revelation of the primarch actually being a Fal'Cie, it was quite peaceful in a way. No ships whirling by or the constant buzz of technology. It was just _natural_.

Serah soon found her feet taken her to the marker and she dropped to her knees, flinching from the cold seeping into her pants. Somedays she'd talked, most she just sat there. She had long since memorized the inscription on the stone, the cracks that was starting to form from the wind abusing it daily.

_Those who fell in the days of the Purge_

_ We commemorate you_

Such few words for all those who passed, Serah couldn't rightly justify it. Was that all someone could think of, or did they just not care past that? Tucking her hair behind her ears that were freed from a violent gust of wind, Serah dipped her head down.

Serah froze when the snow crunched behind her. Slowly, she glanced over her shoulder to see a Uridummu stalking her. Her breath caught in her throat, panic rising in her. She saw the beast's muscles coil and knew instinctively it was going to pounce. Serah threw herself to the side just as the creature lunged and dashed off.

Not being the most athletic, she did manage to acquire the family knack for running and right now she urged legs move faster. The burst of speed she gained was what she could only assume to be the adrenaline pumping through her veins.

Chancing a glimpse over her shoulder, she could see the snow didn't put nearly as much effort to slowly down the beast as it did her. The Uridummu was hot on her heels and yellow eyes pierced her soul.

Looking over her shoulder, she failed to notice the earth dipping under her feet and she was sent tumbling down the steep slope. Feet rolling over her head over and over until she could feel the ground flatten underneath her and gradually came to a stop.

She snapped her head up to the growl above and could see the beast pacing at the top of the slope, refusing to go down and it finally lost it's patience. Serah breathed in relief when it turned around and padded off. Brushing the snow off her body and rubbing her hands together for friction, she scanned the easiest way back up.

The sun fought itself through the thick clouds to cast a glow on the snow, making her squint. A glint forced her to look again and saw something floating just barely off the ground. Quickly shuffling through the snow, Serah slowly approached the disk.

Hovering above the snow, Serah knew she had seen these before. Tilting her head, she finally grasped that the name was a Cie'th stone. Serah leaned closer and could immediately identify subtle differences than the ones she had saw.

This one gave off a bright white hue, the brilliance of the light made her almost want to look away. Serah had always felt such sorrow when she came across these, these people no longer had a choice. This stone, though, made her experience such grief, she couldn't understand why. It made her heart go out to this poor soul who could only wait lifetimes until someone took on their focus.

Hesitantly, she reached out and the tips of her fingers barely brushed the frosted stone.

_/Pets. . .Lightning. . so tired of it all. . it flashes bright, . .__**Barthandelus!**__. . Serah. . then fades away. . .used. .it can't protect. . . __**I control my own fate**__. . Sorry, Sis. ._

_. .it only destroys/_

Serah ripped her hand away from the stone and gripped her heart. She could easily place it, the thumping under her hand rapid. She tried to catch her breath, feeling it gush out of her as if she forgot how.

Staring at the stone, Serah breathed out forcefully and geared herself, "Claire?"

Placing both palms on the chipped stone, she was faced with the onslaught of emotions. Trying to keep herself from drowning in it, she slowed down and focused on everything that was hurled at her. Places, hate, anger, memories, uncertainty, it was all there. Things she recognized from one person.

_/. . tools. . family. . Fal'Cie. . I'm so sorry. . puppets. . forgive me. . humans as slaves. . __**help me**__. ./_

"I'll help Claire! Please let me!", Serah found herself nodding vigorously, shouting at the now silent stone.

Her knees buckled up under her and she went crashing into the snow. Her arm burned and she grasped it, numbly wondering if she hit it on the tumble down. Tears ran down her face and she couldn't stop them. Snow had told her Cie'th stones were what Cie'th turned into when they ran out of energy, but were to suffer endlessly for their uncompleted focus.

Was this what had happened to Lightning?

Serah wiped her face with the back of her hand and cleared her throat, standing up slowly. She brushed her fingers lightly over the stone, but gained nothing further. Serah shifted her jaw back and forth, she was going to find out what happened to her sister.

Flurries of unrelenting snow flurries assaulted her face and made her tug the scarf over her face, leaving just enough to see. It was no use, the wind sending chills through her body also carried unbidding snow. Serah forced down the panic rising in her throat, the town was too far to go before this blizzard set in.

Staring at the stone, she knew she would have to find it again, "I'll be back sis, I promise."

Turning around, she surged forward through the thickening snow and found herself making little movement. _There has to be some sort of shelter here_, she thought, always seeing caves until she actually needed one. Running at her fastest pace, she couldn't see anything but a few feet ahead.

The cold was starting to get to her, numbing her whole body and the time she spent sitting in the snow was coming back at her now. Every which way she turned, it was just endless snow. Nothing to show any safety from the assaulting weather.

Her limbs locked and she was sent sprawling face first into the chilling snow. Maneuvering onto her palms, she pushed upward to try and gain her footing. An overbearing feeling came over her, in an instant she had a name for it. Dread.

To be wandering in the snow, questioning her family, to only die in the snow. How terrible that would be if Snow had found her in the snow, how ironic.

Serah shook off the thoughts, blaming it on her pessimistic side.

Suddenly, a voice came to her on the wind, "_Get up!"_

Hands grasping under her arms hauled her up and she struggled to keep focus. Was someone dragging her? Serah clenched her fists as she pushed through the snow, constantly glancing over her shoulder to find no one.

A slight nudge to her shoulder pushed her into a different way, "_This way_."

Serah didn't care if she was going crazy, but whatever warming presence at her side had at least a plan to go somewhere. She didn't.

She kept walking, anytime she stumbled something catching her right before she hit the snow and set her straight. Her eyes lit up when she could see the opening of a cave, the snow packing at it's roof but not managing to get inside.

Serah hesitated at the entrance, something could we waiting out the blizzard just like she wanted too. Another nudge sent her forward and she whipped her head to the side again to find nothing but snow.

"_It's okay."_

Serah didn't know what was wrong her mind, but this definitely wasn't okay that she was talking to herself. She sat on the smooth ground, finding it cold but not near the frigid air outside. She still couldn't help but notice the presence that was casting a certain safety over her. Her eyelids grew heavy and she struggled to stay awake.

A hazy familiar figure stood still near the edge of the cave, before she lost her grip on consciousness.

**Author's Note**

This just kept floating about in my head, so I figured I'd write it. Got an idea of what the plot will be if I'll do more. I kinda just wanted to do a sisterly (nothing more) kinda story since all my others have been romance. If you guys like it I'll continue it, but not until after I finish Chaotic Exception. I could never juggle two stories at once, that'd probably kill me ^_^ Read and review.


	2. Apologies!

**I'm so sorry!**

I'm a downright bastard for not updating this as soon as I finished with my other story. Schools out though, and I plan to complete this before I have to start applying for colleges. Probably won't happen, but y'know. . -yeahh.

The thing that got me in gear was that they just released a new trailer for Lightning Returns (go watch it now, if you haven't). It's got my mind whirling, but I did have a severe fangirl breakdown when it displayed: America **February 2014.**

I must get this story complete before then because I tend to rely too heavily on a game if I see too much of a certain plot.

. . If someone has a better idea for an image for the story, please tell me. I think I chose the one it has now in a rush.

Anyways, I should have the next chapter out by at least next week, and I've already written the outline.

If I take too long, just PM or spam me to get in gear again. I do appreciate those who have reviewed this, and I'll try and not let you down!

Sorry again. ^_^


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